The Snakes
by Adela H
Summary: Ginny is asked to spy on a Slytherin Fraternity...yes, undercover as a boy. ;-)
1. Default Chapter

A/N: Ha, i finally came out with another fantastic fic!!! Enjoy, yo! oh yeah, this fic is based on Shakespeare's play "Twelfth Night or What You Will."  
  
Chapter One p  
  
  
The Burrow was oddly quiet. After having the twins move out and Percy as well, the house just seemed like a shell of what used to be. Ginny didn't mind the quiet as much as Ron did. She actually enjoyed it a bit. Ron, however, thought it very spooky.  
  
Ginny was up in her room taking advantage of the quiet by reading a book. She could always be found somewhere around the house with her nose stuck in a book. She was a sucker for romance, and even indulged in a few Muggle books when she could get her hands on them. Muggle life seemed so exotic to the seventeen-year-old red head.  
  
Ginny was lying on her bed, her feet up in the air, and her newest romance open to the last chapter. When Ginny finished she rolled on her back, hugging her pillow and sighed.  
  
"Oh, I'd kill to be Gertrude and have Sir Lex sweep me away on his white stallion." She sighed, and then stared up at the ceiling, imaging what it would be like to fall in love.  
  
Of course Ginny couldn't count her crush on Harry as love. They'd never shared the intimate scenes she'd read so often in her books, so it couldn't be love. But she always thought that if she could just get Harry alone for a few minutes, she'd make him see that they were meant to be together.  
  
Ginny heard someone knock at the front door and wondered who it could be. She ran to her window but before she could see whom it was they were let into the house. Ginny ran down the stairs, two at a time, thinking that maybe it was Harry. They had a week before school started again, and Harry hadn't come all summer.  
  
Ginny stopped in her tracks as she saw the aging man in front of her.  
  
"Prof--Professor Dumbeldore!" Ginny exclaimed.  
  
"Hello, Ginny." He smiled at her.  
  
"Run along, Ginny. The Headmaster needs to talk with us." Arthur said.  
  
"Actually, Arthur, Molly, what I have to say involves Ginny."  
  
Ginny's eyebrows rose considerably.  
  
"Is Harry here?" Ron asked, coming down the stairs. "Professor Dumbledore?"  
  
"Ron, go back up to your room, please." Molly said this time.  
  
Ron gave a hurt look, then trudged up the stairs. Arthur motioned for Dumbledore to take a seat, and Molly, Ginny and Arthur sat on a worn coach.  
  
"I have a proposal to make to Ginny, but I need your permission." Dumbledore looked from Ginny then to Molly and Arthur. "Voldemort is growing stronger, and we need to place a source somewhere to collect information. We have known for quite some time that the Slytherin house has a sort of Fraternity that only admits those of pure bloodlines. We need to place someone in their midst to be accepted into their group and collect any information on Voldemort's plans of attack."  
  
"What does this have to do with Ginny?" Molly asked, worried.  
  
Dumbledore looked at Ginny and smiled. "Ginny, will you be our informative?"  
  
"What?" Arthur asked, standing. "No, this is out of the question."  
  
"Professor, not my baby." Molly began wringing her hands.  
  
Dumbeldore motioned for them to quiet, then continued. "We think Ginny would be the best for this. She's courageous, and keeps a cool head."  
  
"But, Professor...Fraternities are for boys." Ginny said as if she was stating the sky was blue.  
  
"We would have suggested a polyjuice potion if it were a boy, but find it, er, inappropriate in Ginny's case. Our Potions Master has experimented with a few transfiguring potions that will change Ginny's hair to a brown color and her eyes blue. It will also cause her voice to deepen a bit, but its effects aren't long lasting. Every twenty-four hours on the dot the potion will wear off and must be taken again."  
  
"Why don't you use a boy?" Arthur asked.  
  
"Arthur, I and those who are heading this operation feel that Ginny is the best person for the job. She'll be completely safe, no harm will come to her." Dumbledore winked at Ginny.  
  
Arthur and Molly began arguing with Dumbledore about putting their little girl in such a dangerous situation. What if they found out who she was? Surely someone would notice Ginny wasn't at school. But Ginny's thoughts lay elsewhere.  
  
"This is just like Helen in The Brigadier! Helen was forced to wear men's clothes to hide from murderers! Oh, this is so romantic." Ginny thought, then said aloud, "I'll do it!"  
  
Molly and Arthur both questioned Ginny's smile. It unnerved them to see their daughter so happy about asked to do something they were against.  
  
"Thank you, Ginny." Dumbledore gave her a thick packet full of papers. "Read this and memorize it. It's who you are. I trust you can make up some plausible story as to why Ginny won't be attending Hogwarts...visiting relatives in America?" Dumbledore left.  
  
Ginny opened the packet and read the papers; Her name was John Macabee. She's from southern England and had been away at a Wizarding School in America, who'd be spending his last year at Hogwarts. The packet contained much more information about her fake family, fake friends, and even fake pets.  
  
"Wow, they're really thorough." Ginny smiled. "I love it!"  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
  
It was rather difficult to pull the whole thing off in front of Ron. Telling him that they had distant relatives in America piqued his interest and wondered why Ginny was going to be visiting them. Molly and Arthur evaded his questions until he tired of asking them. Ginny began sending owls to her friends telling them to not expect her on the train this year.  
  
One night Arthur came into her room to have a little chat with her.  
  
"Ginny," Arthur paused, pacing up and down her room. "There are certain things guys do that girls don't know about, and in order to pass yourself off as a guy you have to know them."  
  
Ginny looked at her Father very curiously. "Like what?"  
  
"Well, the way you walk, for instance. A girl walks likes she's gliding on water--very elegantly. A guy walks like--well...just watch." Arthur began pacing the room again, taking long strides. Ginny followed her Father around the room, and once she got the knack of walking like a guy, he continued. "And guys talk about things when they're alone together..." Ginny raised her eyebrows. "Well, if you feel offended just walk away and tell them you have something important to take care of."  
  
Ginny had begun to get an idea as to what guys talked about. She vaguely remembered one of her friends telling her about the one thing guys thought about every fifteen minutes. Ginny tried to stifle a laugh.  
  
"Is that all, Dad?" She asked, smiling.  
  
Arthur took a long breath, and then nodded his head. He grabbed Ginny in a hug and wished her good luck.  
  
Ginny's eyes brightened as she waited in the front room for a car to pick her up the day before school.  
  
"Ginny, they're here." Molly rushed to her daughter and gave her a huge hug. "I love you Ginny, and if you feel like stopping all this at any time, just send me an owl."  
  
"Ginny," Arthur put his hand on her shoulder. "You're a very brave girl, and I admire that." He embraced Ginny.  
  
Both her parents watched Ginny leave the house and enter the car.  
  
"Where's her luggage?" Ron asked.  
  
"We'll be sending it to her later." Molly said through misty eyes.  
  
"Sheesh, Mum, it's not like she's going to the moon."  
  
Ginny watched through the window as the car drove further away. A Ministry Member was in the back seat explaining her mission more clearly.  
  
"We have a trunk prepared for you at the Leaky Cauldron. Now remember, your name from here on out is John Macabee, and who are your parents?"  
  
"Wilfred and Cynthia." Ginny replied, rather gloomily.  
  
"And how far back does your wizarding line go?"  
  
"Are they seriously going to ask me that?" Ginny tore her gaze from the window to look at the man beside her.  
  
"Slytherin's are rather cautious about new people, especially if they're not pure bloods."  
  
"I have wizard blood in me as far back as Merlin." Ginny sighed.  
  
This whole thing wasn't sounding as romantic as it had. She was going to see her friends walk past in her the hall and not be able to go up to them and say hi. Worse yet, she'd see Harry! And he'd see her as a boy. A Slytherin boy at that!  
  
"And remember," The man said as they pulled up to the Leaky Cauldron. "You have to get into the Fraternity--it's known as The Snakes." The man handed her a vial of a sickly green substance. Ginny's face cringed as she downed the potion and instantly she felt a tingling sensation on her head as her hair began to shrink and change.  
  
"It feels weird." Ginny said in a deep voice, then gasped. "Is that my voice?" She placed her hand on her neck and began clearing her throat.  
  
"Yes, now John, here's your room key, you're luggage is already in your room. A car will pick you up tomorrow and the driver will approach you by name. Here's your spending money, buy some uniform robes and dress robes."  
  
The man said all this quickly that Ginny's head began to swim in confusion. What did he say? But before she could ask the door opened and Ginny found herself watching the car drive away. She had a heavy sack in one hand and a key in the other. She felt like crying and screaming, but did neither.  
  
Ginny turned around and looked up at the Leaky Cauldron. She'd been here only one time before, a few years ago, but that was with her family. Now she was all alone, and she was definitely not used to being alone. She squeezed the key, and then headed into the establishment. She asked the Inn Keeper where she could find her room and upon seeing the key he gasped.  
  
"Oh, John Macabee, we've been expecting you. Got your luggage this morning." The Inn Keeper wiped his hands on his pants and held it out to Ginny's, but Ginny just looked at it, dumbfounded. "Right...this way sir."  
  
"Wow," Ginny gazed at the splendor. It must have been a suite! There was a huge bed and a throw rug at the foot of it. The wood was a deep red, everything looked like King Midas had sneezed on it.  
  
Ginny rushed to the bed and jumped on it, laughing. She felt so giddy and free! She soon tired of jumping and just lay there, on the nice newly made bed, when a thought crossed her mind. What did she look like?  
  
Ginny quickly sat up and rushed to the bathroom. She stopped in front of the mirror and her jaw hung down. In front of her was someone that looked familiar, but was also a stranger. She still had her facial features, but her hair was cropped above her ears and was a light brown with blonde highlights. Her eyes were a bright blue. Ginny looked down at her robes and flung them off. She sighed in relief. She still had her, um, womanly assets.  
  
"I wonder what clothes I have." Ginny bit her tongue as she rushed to the chest inside the room.  
  
The chest contained clothes that probably cost more than all the clothes she ever owned. She felt the nice silk shirts and dark slacks. There were some boots shoved into the corner and some ties. Thank the stars Ginny knew how to tie ties!  
  
Curiously, Ginny slipped on some of the clothes then headed back to the mirror. "Not bad," Ginny said allowed. She actually looked quite good...for a girl dressed as a guy. If she'd met someone looking like her reflection she'd have given him a second look. Ginny's face turned into a smile and a rather girlish laugh escaped her lips.  
  
"Oh, that won't do." Ginny tried frowning, then smiling unpleasantly. A low forced laugh echoed in the bathroom. "Why, hello there." Ginny said to her reflection. "You look sweeter than a sugar quill." Ginny quoted a line some guy tried on her, then began laughing her girlish laugh.  
  
Ginny knew if she didn't control that laugh of hers, no one would believe she was a guy...or at least a strait guy. 


	2. Chapter Two

(A/N: Ok, second chapter and I finally figured out how to make this baby work, yah! I finally have Windows XP which means there will be no spelling erros, though I can't vouch for grammatical errors...that'll be up to my beta reader (thanks deathbyapocalypse!!!)  
  
Chapter Two:  
  
  
Ginny, or rather John was walking down Diagon Alley. She almost blew her cover when she saw a fellow Gryffindor walk out of Madam Malkin's. She almost ran up to her and said hi, but then she remembered she was a boy. Ginny smiled at her friend, then walked to the doors. She looked back and saw her friend still staring at her, but very weirdly. She then tripped over a little boy, and fell over.  
  
"Oh, crap!" Ginny said under her breath, and was prepared to help her friend up, but her friend got up herself then walked away quickly. It was then that what happened entered Ginny's head. "Oh gross! She was checkin' me out!"  
  
Ginny entered Madam Malkin's feeling a bit sick. She was fitted for new Hogwart's robes and a dress robe. It felt weird for Ginny to be carrying all these new clothes with her, so she chucked them into a chair in front of a cafe and sat down. She ordered an orange soda, and sat there, watching people she knew walk right passed her.  
  
Then someone she was hoping to see, and dreading to see, walked in her view. Harry Potter! Ginny gave an involuntarily sigh, and watched Harry, Ron and Hermione walk down Diagon Alley. They were laughing and talking, and Ginny longed to be apart of their group.  
  
"Don't even think about joining their ranks." A cold voice said behind her.  
  
Ginny turned around and gasped. Draco Malfoy seated himself next to her.  
  
"Yep, that's Harry Potter, the famous boy-who-wouldn't-die. And I'm Draco Malfoy." Draco held his hand out to Ginny, but she just looked at it. "I know who you are already--I have connections at the Inn. You're John Macabee."  
  
Ginny's eyes widened at his knowledge. Rumors spread fast!  
  
"I hear you're going to Hogwarts. Well, I'll give you a tip for free; Slytherin House is the only house that won't allow riff raff like that lot in. Gryffindors, on the other hand, would allow a house elf in if they took it into their heads. Absolutely sickens me." Draco spit a few feet from him, and then looked back up at Ginny.  
  
"Thanks for the advice." Ginny tried to put on a pleasant face.  
  
"No problem. See you later." Draco stood then left.  
  
Ginny's face sunk at the prospect of spending the rest of the year with people like Draco. In order to get into the know with The Snakes, she was going to enter Hogwarts as a seventh year. No one knew who the leader of their gang was, but Ginny would have given you one guess. Draco Malfoy.  
  
Ginny retired to her bed early, not caring to spend the rest of her day wishing to be herself. She flung herself on her bed after downing another vial of potion that had appeared on her pillow. She'd have to remember that every night at midnight she'd have to drink the potion or she'd change back into her red headed self.  
  
Ginny soon dozed into a somewhat peaceful sleep. She awoke groggily, and her situation sank back into her. She groaned, then flung the covers off her and got ready. She placed a shirt and black slacks on, but something very obvious was showing. Ginny bit her lip, then looked around the room for anything that would hide her feminine qualities from view. She found some spell-o-tape and wrapped it around her chest, then replaced the shirt.  
  
  
That's much better! Ginny thought. She packed her trunk, and then dragged it down the stairs to the front. The Inn Keeper kept asking her how her stay was, but Ginny wasn't in the mood to talk to him, so she ignored his questions. A car soon pulled up and took her to Kings Cross. Ginny pushed her luggage through the platform, and just barely made it on the train before it started moving.  
  
Students were walking from compartment to compartment, talking of their summer holidays, and what they'd do once they got back to the castle. A few first years were all huddled into the same compartment, and Ginny passed that one by without a second thought. She stopped in front of one door and heard familiar voices.  
  
"Where's Ginny?" Harry's muffled voice floated to her ears.  
  
"She's in America, going to school there for a bit."  
  
"Oh." Was Harrys' reply.  
  
Ginny was about to walk into the compartment when a hand firmly grasped her shoulder.  
  
"What?" She asked, irritably, then stared into the stormy gray eyes of Draco.  
  
"Well, a temper like that calls for some curbing." Draco laughed. "Hey, I told my friends about you and they want to meet you."  
  
Ginny reluctantly followed Draco, but gave him a quick smile as they entered one of the last compartments. Inside were Crabbe and Goyle, and a few other Slytherins Ginny remembered, but hadn't cared to learn their names before.  
  
"This is Crabbe and Goyle." Draco said pointing to his two troll like friends. "Zabini, Pansy, and Lucas."  
  
Ginny said hi to each of them in turn, then sat down in between Draco and Pansy. Pansy was staring at her hands, then looked shyly up at Ginny. Ginny smiled, then tried following the conversation that was being directed at her.  
  
"So, where are you from?" Zabini asked.  
  
Ginny rehearsed her whole history to them, and they seemed to ask every question the Ministry Member had predicted they'd ask. And then the big question finally came.  
  
"How far back is your wizard's line?" This came from Draco.  
  
Ginny faced him, and paused to read his thoughts. "I can trace my lineage as far back as Merlin. Mum is still working on our earlier ancestors." Ginny seemed to hold her breath, waiting for approval, and then finally Draco smiled.  
  
"Pansy, luv, can you go get me some chocolate frogs?" Pansy had been busy studying Ginny's features out of the corner of her eye that she jumped upon being addressed.  
  
"What was that?" She asked, her face turning red.  
  
"Chocolate frogs..." Draco said, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Oh, can you get me some every-flavor beans?" Crabbe asked.  
  
"And me some cauldron cakes?" Goyle added.  
  
"Oh, oh, and some fizzing whizbies?" Crabbe continued  
  
"Yeah, and some licorice wands and--" but Goyle was interrupted before he could continue his list.  
  
"Why don't I just get a little bit of everything?" Pansy asked irritated, then left the room in a huff, mumbling something about being treated like a common house elf.  
  
"Well, now that she's gone." Draco smiled. "John, tell us something...do your parents support the Dark Lord?"  
  
Ginny's eyes shot wide open and was about to answer in the negative, when she remembered she wasn't Ginny Weasley, she was John Macabee. "Why would I tell you?" She replied slyly.  
  
"You can tell us." Draco waved his arm across the compartment. "Our parents are supporters.  
  
"I think I'll keep that to myself until I know you a little better." Ginny tried making it sound like she was just reluctant to say yes.  
  
The rest of the train ride wasn't as bad as Ginny thought it would be. She had always thought that Slytherins were stuck up pricks who did nothing all day but primp and show off. Well, they did that, but they also did a bit more. Their conversations were a little interesting and they shed some light on a few confusing points she harbored in the past.  
  
"You see," Draco continued from the conversation they had just started. "Since everyone thinks we're bad, we can't let our public down. We have fun and joke around just like those goody goody Gryffindors...we just do it in style."  
  
"I have a feeling you'll be chosen as Slytherin." Zabini said, looking smug.  
  
"Of course he will. All you have to do is tell the stupid hat which house you want to be in." Draco began explaining his experience with the hat. "Once it was placed on my head I said, 'if you don't put me in Slytherin I know a Dragon who'd like a new chew toy.'" The compartment filled with laughter, and Ginny found herself smiling. It was true, she had begged and begged the hat to put her in Gryffindor.  
  
"But from what I hear, Hufflepuff isn't a house you'd choose...so why are there people in that house?" Ginny asked.  
  
"I don't know," Draco thought about this. "Perhaps they're too afraid to answer the hat, so he puts all the mutes in that house."  
  
"Ok, so let me get this straight." Ginny paused. "This hat is supposed to put you in a house that you're supposedly destined to be in...but in reality you just tell it what house you want to be in?" They all nodded their heads. "Well, it seems to me that you do have a sort of destiny. I mean, you know the house backgrounds and if you feel you have qualities that would support a certain house, you ask to be in that house. Therefore you still have destiny, but you create it."  
  
The others thought about this a while.  
  
"Bravo, Macabee. We've got a deep thinker in our midst." Draco said, then turned to smile at her.  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
Ginny was asked to separate from the group of students once she reached Hogwarts. Dumbledore was going to announce her arrival, then have her sorted. Once everyone was seated and all the first years were sorted Dumbledore began his beginning of term speech.  
  
"And now I'd like to introduce you to a new seventh year student who has spent his time in America. John Macabee." Ginny walked into the Hall and up to the front. She was seated and the hat was placed on her and it immediately began talking.  
  
"Ah, if it isn't Ginny Weasley." It started, and Ginny jumped. "Don't worry, Dumbledore told me everything. Although I still see Gryffindor in you, I'll have to put you in SLYTHERIN!" It shouted the last word, and Ginny found herself entering territory she thought was forbidden before--The Slytherin table.  
  
"See, you told it to put you in Slytherin, huh?" Draco said, clapping a hand over Ginny's shoulder as she sat next to him.  
  
"Um, yeah, something like that." Ginny began to feel butterflies in her stomach. She had seen Harry and Ron and Hermione and wished she could be with them. She could see them from where she sat, and longed to run over there.  
  
She could barely take a bite of food for fear it would just come up again. Soon the feast ended and Draco and his friends showed Ginny down the dark corridors to the Slytherin entrance. All Ginny remembered was being escorted through the gloomy common room and up to the boys' dorms. Ginny suddenly found herself awake after their door was shut--the boys began to undress.  
  
"Man, I'm exhausted!" Zabini said, ripping off his clothes, all the way down to his boxers.  
  
Ginny felt herself blush and thanked the stars that their room was dark. She quickly averted her eyes, and rushed to her bed. She acted like she was rummaging through her trunk until the others got into their beds. She found a baggy white shirt that would do as a nightgown, and got into bed.  
  
"Looks like Macabee is too tired to take of his clothes." Draco said, noticing Ginny.  
  
"Um, yeah...too tired to care." Ginny said, then turned to see Draco standing by his bed. "G'night then." Ginny said hurriedly, then closed the drapes over her bed. She quickly changed into the shirt, then slipped between the covers.  
  
I wonder what tomorrow will bring, Ginny thought worriedly.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Ginny slowly shifted in her sleep. She'd been having a horrible dream. She'd been locked in the Slytherin tower and Draco and Zabini and everyone were poking her and making fun of her. Her eyes suddenly opened wide when she heard unfamiliar male voices near by.  
  
"I swear, that boy'll probably sleep until Christmas if we don't wake him up." Zabini said just a few feet away. "Hey, Macabee! Ever heard of the phrase early bird catches the worm?"  
  
Ginny grumbled about being woken up, then sat up in bed. She stretched her arms and ran her fingers through her long red hair--  
  
LONG RED HAIR!!!  
  
"Oh, crap." Ginny whispered to herself.  
  
"Macabee, breakfast is being served and some of these first years have endless pits for stomachs." This time it was Draco.  
  
"Um," Ginny tried imitating a male voice. "I'll be right out, just need to, uh, do something." Ginny flung her hand under her pillow but there was no vial. It was at the foot of her bed, in her trunk! "You guys go on ahead without me."  
  
Ginny waited until she couldn't hear their retreating footsteps, then she cracked the curtains open. After making sure she was alone in the dorm she quickly ran to her trunk and pulled out a vial of the green liquid. She downed it so fast she nearly choked. Suddenly she felt the same tingling sensation in her scalp, and reached up and touched the short-cropped hair.  
  
"I'll have to remember to take it before bed." She said as she got dressed.  
  
Breakfast was a little better than dinner. Ginny's appetite returned and she happily ate some scrambled eggs.  
  
Ok, remember why you're here, Ginny thought. You need to find out about The Snakes.  
  
"So, what do you, er, us Slytherin's do for fun around here?" Ginny hoped her sentence came out sounding mischievously.  
  
Draco and Zabini looked at each other and cocked their eyebrows.  
  
"Should we?" Draco asked.  
  
"I don't know...we barely know him." Zabini replied.  
  
This conversation went on a while longer, Ginny feeling very insecure about them talking about her behind her back in front of her. Finally they decided to let her in on their little secret.  
  
"Well, seeing as you're a pureblood, and a Slytherin, we'll let you in on a little secret." Zabini made sure no one was else listening, then continued. "Meet us down in the common room at midnight and we'll show you how to have fun." Both Zabini and Draco started laughing under their breaths.  
  
Oh crap, Ginny though. What did I get myself into?  
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
Ginny was in Transfiguration, listening to the Professor as if she were speaking another language. They were supposed to transfigure a mouse into a cat, then into a dog, and back into a mouse again. Ginny didn't know anything about inter-species transfiguration, and looked around, hoping no one would notice her mouse was still...well, a mouse.  
  
"Hey, Hannah!" Draco shouted across the room when Mcgonagall left to get some papers.  
  
A pretty girl with long sleek blonde hair looked up, along with her friends.  
  
"Looks like your cat can do with a make-over!" Draco pointed his wand at the cat Hannah had successfully transfigured from her mouse, then screeched.  
  
Sitting on her desk was a skunk, which slowly began lifting its tail. Everyone surrounding Hannah quickly rushed away from the skunk, but Hannah was frozen. The skunk raised its tail all the way up, and Hannah found herself sprayed!  
  
"Malfoy, you waste of flesh!" Hannah yelled, standing at her desk. She began wiping at her cloaks, but the stench still remained. The Slytherins were all laughing, and pointing while the Hufflepuffs were scowling at Draco, and comforting Hannah...at a very safe distance.  
  
"What is going on?" Mcgonagall returned and immediately the room quieted.  
  
"Professor, Draco turned my cat into a skunk and it sprayed me.  
  
Draco snorted. "She's just trying to blame her poor magical skills on me."  
  
"Draco Malfoy, you have caused problems in my class since your first year, while Hannah has been a perfect model student. Now who do you think I'll believe?" Mcgonagall had her arms crossed over her chest, glaring at Draco, who merely rolled his eyes. "Twenty points from Slytherin and a detention for you."  
  
Draco didn't even bat an eye at this news, but a few of his fellow Slytherins murmured. Class ended and Draco was made to stay behind to receive his detention. Ginny and the other Slytherins walked to their next class, which was potions.  
  
"Why does he do that?" Ginny asked Zabini.  
  
"What, Malfoy?" Zabini began to laugh, throwing his head back. "Malfoy just doesn't do that for no reason. There's always some plan he has when he's throwing insults and pulling stunts like you just saw."  
  
Ginny recalled the many times her brother had gotten in trouble because of Malfoy. She knew the reasons behind those stunts, but why would he do something to someone innocent, like Hannah?  
  
"Isn't it obvious?" Zabini was referring to what Ginny had just been thinking. "Malfoy has a crush on Hannah."  
  
Zabini continued on ahead with the group down to the dungeons, leaving Ginny staring after them. Draco had a crush...on a girl? Not just a girl, a sweet girl in Hufflepuff?  
  
"Wait up!" Ginny called after the group of Slytherins. "Why would Malfoy do something like that to a girl he has a crush on?"  
  
"Are you seriously asking me this?" Zabini had his eyebrows raised.  
  
"Come on, Macabee, think about it." Lucas stepped in. "What would you do? Go right up and say, 'hey, I like you, I think you're hot? Let's get together some time?'" Ginny was about to answer in the affirmative, when she remembered her little love affair with Harry.  
  
She never came right out and said she liked Harry. She did give him that Valentine, and after looking back realized that must have been a little humiliating. But that still didn't justify letting a skunk loose on the girl you liked.  
  
"I'll never understand the workings of a guys mind." Ginny thought.  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
Potions was, well, let's say interesting. Ginny thought she was happy at the prospect at spending an hour in the same class as her brother and Harry and Hermione, but she was wrong. She ended up sitting with Draco when he arrived from Mcgonagall's, and they were starting on their potion when Ginny couldn't help herself and looked up at Harry.  
  
"He's not all that's cracked up to be." Draco said, seeing the object of Ginny's eyes.  
  
"What do you mean?" Ginny asked defensively.  
  
"Well, you've probably grown up hearing about how he banished the Dark Lord and all that, but he's a real wimp!." Draco added some ingredients to their potion and it immediately turned a dark blue. "Pass the frog spleen."  
  
"What makes you say that?" Ginny asked, referring to him calling Harry a wimp.  
  
"Because without the frog spleen the potion won't work." Draco said matter-of-factly.  
  
"That's not what I mean." Ginny passed him the frog spleen then continued. "Why do you think he's a wimp? I heard he saved a girl in his second year..."  
  
"That Weasley who opened the Chamber of Secrets?" Draco began chuckling. "Believe me, the only thing worse than Potter is a Weasley. There's a whole mess of them! Like ten boys and then the one girl. Although I would have stopped after that Weasley," Draco pointed towards Ron. "Who'd want to possibly inflict the world with another git like that?"  
  
Ginny's fists clenched automatically, and she hid them in her robes. She was biting down on her tongue, trying to keep the rude remarks to herself. What right did Draco have to insult her family anyway?  
  
"Although Ginny is a nice girl, I suppose...for a Gryffindor. She's probably the only Weasley I'd talk to voluntarily. Now pass me the liquid gold." Draco dropped a few drops of liquid gold into the cauldron and the potion turned a violent shade of red. "Now that we're done with that, I think it's time for a little fun."  
  
"But what if you get in trouble?" Ginny asked, eyeing Snape.  
  
"Me, get in trouble? That's rich!" Draco picked up the left over frog spleen and smiled. "Snape turns a blind eye towards me." And with that he threw the slimy stuff and it hit Ron right smack in the middle of the forehead.  
  
Ginny couldn't help herself, she began to laugh. Although when Ron looked their way she pretended she was very interested in the bubbling potion, and tried to stifle her giggles.  
  
"Mr. Weasley," Snape's cold voice came from the front of the class. "My class is no time to try and improve your look by covering those freckles with potions ingredients. Ten points from Gryffindor for a wreckless waste of ingredients."  
  
Ron bit back a retort, knowing it would only cause the ten points to raise to twenty. He glared evilly at Draco who assumed a look of innocence, then smiled at Ron.  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Look, Draco, here comes Hannah." Lucas said in a singsong voice.  
  
Draco punched Lucas in the arm, then straightened his robes. Hannah was walking down the corridor, heading in their direction. Ginny noticed how Hannah's eyes looked up at their group, then quickly averted them to the books she clutched to her chest. As they neared closer Ginny felt more sorry for her.  
  
"I thought I smelled you, Hannah." Draco smirked, causing the others to laugh.  
  
Hannah must have felt intimidated, for she tripped over her feet and nearly fell. Her books were less lucky, and tumbled out of her hands towards the floor. The others just laughed, but Ginny's instincts wouldn't allow her to just stand there and watch.  
  
"Here." Ginny had picked up one of the books and handed it to the poor girl.  
  
"Thank you." Hannah looked up at Ginny, smiling and blushing.  
  
As soon as Hannah turned the corner, Ginny was attacked...verbally.  
  
"What'd you do that for?" Draco asked, rather angrily.  
  
"I just picked up a book." Ginny raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Yeah, but she's mine! You have no right to interfere."  
  
"I think she liked you." Blaise said contemplating.  
  
"Yeah, I tend to like people who do something nice for me too. Come off it!" Ginny flung her arms in front of her. "The way to a girls heart is not by humiliating her! You've got to be nice."  
  
The others looked at her as if her idea was revolutionary.  
  
"About this niceness thing." Draco said, rubbing his chin with his thumb and forefinger. "How do you go about doing it?"  
  
Ginny's faced showed the shock she felt. "What do you mean? You just be nice...be considerate."  
  
"We're going to be late for lunch!" Crabbe complained.  
  
Everyone looked down at their watches, then began walking quickly towards the Great Hall. Draco, however, was eyeing Ginny very suspiciously. A plan was forming in his head, and he gave a half smile, which unnerved Ginny.  
  
The rest of the day went by rather quickly. It wasn't too long before their last classes were finished, they were all stuffed with dinner, and retiring for the night. Ginny's heartbeat quickened, though. It was two hours away until midnight and she was still none the wiser as to what Draco and his gang were planning tonight, or if it even had anything to do with The Snakes. Ginny lay on her bed, in the dorm room alone. The others said they had to prepare for the night, and Ginny was left waiting, counting the minutes. All too soon she heard the chime of the clock in the common room strike twelve.  
  
Ginny put on her cloak and downed a vial of the green potion, then quietly tip toed down the stairs to the common room. The fire gave an eerie glow as it was dying out. The light of the red embers barely spread ten feet in front of the fireplace, and the rest of the room was hidden in deepest black.  
  
"Hello?" Ginny called out, afraid to leave the safety of the fire's glow.  
  
"Over here." A scratchy voice whispered, coming from the entrance.  
  
Ginny had her hands in front of her, prepared to run into something, when something ran into her. She felt the air sucked out of her, and her hands tied behind her back. A sack was placed over her head, and then she felt herself being lifted up. She tried screaming but a silencing charm must have been placed on her.  
  
Ginny felt herself being carried away through the school. She had no idea where they were going, but realized they were outside when a cool breeze met her. A little while later those who were carrying her stopped, and she was dropped rather roughly to the ground. She heard the lapping of water on shore, and realized they must be near the lake. That's when the sack was taken off of her, and the silencing charm.  
  
"Untie me!" Ginny demanded.  
  
"Not right now." Draco bent down in front of Ginny's face and smiled. "Fellows?" Draco raised his eyes to something behind Ginny.  
  
The others slowly came into view and they were carrying what seemed to be snakes in their hands. Ginny felt like screaming, but knew if she made any sudden movements she would probably be bitten.  
  
"Here's the deal. For ten minutes you let these snakes crawl over you. If you don't give them a reason to bite you, then we'll accept you." Draco explained, a mad gleam in his eyes.  
  
"What if they b-b-bite me?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Well then I guess we don't accept you...and you suffer excruciating pain for hours." Draco began laughing, sending chills down Ginny's spine.  
  
The other four let their snakes loose and they began slithering over Ginny. Their cool scales traced along her body, up her back, into her hair. She felt like cringing, but knew she might be bitten.  
  
"I'm doing this for a good cause." Ginny kept reminding herself over and over again.  
  
The snakes continued their journey over Ginny's body, and then after ten minutes the snakes were withdrawn from her.  
  
"Congratulations." Draco smiled. "You're the newest member to The Snakes." 


	3. Chapter Three

(A/N: Hey, I totally have this fic finished, but I'm going to post the chapters once a day...ya know...cuz I feel like it!  
Hey, I also wanted to start this poll thingy! I wanted to see what type of people read my fic! If you want to do it then email me at LWANTLTFRICKSWAY@aol.com and copy and past the following questions and answers;  
Age:  
Gender:  
Shipper:  
Have you read my other fics?  
Did you become a D/G shipper because of my fics?  
What type of things do you like about my fics?  
What type of things do you think I should improve or add?  
  
Thanks a lot!!!)  
  
  
  
  
Chapter Three  
  
  
"Now," Draco started. "You're not a full fledged member as of yet. We usually do the trials on first years so they'll be ready to take over their seventh year, but since you're a seventh year we'll admit you into our meetings but you still have to go through the trials."  
  
"What trials." Ginny thought she'd be able to do anything after having creepy snakes slither over her for ten minutes.  
  
"Well, you become one of our slaves and you have to do anything we say. We also set a trial before you that you must complete by the Christmas Holidays, or a new, harder trial will be given you the next semester." Draco paused. "I am obviously the leader, and seeing as how the others have slaves, you'll be mine."  
  
"Wh-what's my trial?" Ginny tried wiping some stray hairs away from her eyes, but her hands were still tied.  
  
"You have to get Hannah Abbott to like me."  
  
"Oh great," Ginny thought. "He only assigned me the impossible." Then she said aloud, "What if I refuse?"  
  
"Well, we simply modify your memory, and ostracize you." Lucas cut in.  
  
After that they untied Ginny's hands and someone brought out some butterbeer they snuck from Hogsmeade, and they sat around, talking. The others were playing some game, who can get the squid to show itself, while Draco and Ginny sat watching.  
  
"So what was your trial?" Ginny asked, bored by the others pitiful attempts.  
  
Draco turned to her, then smiled. "I had to get Harry Potter in trouble whenever the opportunity arose."  
  
Ginny crinkled her eyebrows. So the reason Draco was so mean to Harry was because he was forced to be.  
  
"Yeah, I thought he was nice, even tried to befriend him...but things don't work out, ya know?" Draco took a swig of butterbeer. "It sort of became a habit throughout the years."  
  
"Well, have you ever tried to apologize...explain yourself?" Ginny asked, also taking a few sips of her butterbeer.  
  
"You're not aloud to tell anyone about The Snakes...ever!" Draco said commandingly. "Besides, if I went up to Potter and said, 'Look, mate, sorry about bothering you the past six years...I can't explain myself, but it's a really funny story,' he'd just think it was a trick. Might as well get all the fun out of it I can, right?"  
  
Ginny shook her head, realizing there was so much she could teach this poor way faring soul. First she'd get this Hannah girl to like him, but she'd also force Draco to do the unthinkable, and be nice to her. He didn't specify how she had to get Hannah to like him, did he?  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
The Slytherin common room was quiet after dinner hours. The Snakes were sitting by the fire trying to finish their homework for the week so they'd be free to go to Hogsmeade the next day. Ginny sat across from Draco and kept peering at him. He wasn't the hottest thing in school, but he was pretty close. She thought that perhaps Draco and Harry tied for the position of hottest guy, but while Harry looked like the boy-next-door, Draco looked like temptation personified. His blonde hair resembled silver in the moonlight, and the expression on his face always said, "just try and make me smile...I dare you."  
  
"What are you staring at?" Draco asked, looking up at Ginny.  
  
Ginny shifted in her seat, then replied, "Just trying to wonder what you'd look like with a smile on your face...girls like smiles on guys, you know."  
  
"I smile." Draco retorted.  
  
"I mean a real smile...not a smile after having done something extremely mischievous." Ginny said.  
  
"What makes you the expert on girls then?"  
  
"I have a sister who has a diary..." Ginny smiled mischievously.  
  
"So then have you figured out a way to get Hannah to like me?" Draco asked, trying to sound nonchalant.  
  
"Not quite," She replied. "But I think you should write her a letter explaining your feelings."  
  
Draco began to laugh, causing the others to look up. "He thinks I should write a letter." Draco told them, pointing towards Ginny.  
  
"Well, you've tried your method and what has it gotten you?" Draco scowled. "So why don't you try my method."  
  
Draco was about to reply when he stopped and smiled. "I have a better idea...I'll send YOU to tell her how I feel."  
  
Ginny's eyes shot wide open. "What? I will not!"  
  
"You have to...you're my slave." Draco whispered.  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes, then nodded her head. Draco motioned for her to follow him up to the dorm and they commenced writing a letter. Ginny sat at one of the desks writing down what Draco was saying.  
  
"Dear Hannah--" Draco started, but was interrupted.  
  
"Dearest Hannah." Ginny said, writing it down.  
  
Draco eyed Ginny, then continued. The letter coming out of Draco's mouth was dry and lacked emotion. Ginny modified it into an eloquent letter, thanks to the fact she read so many romance novels. Once the letter was completed Draco read it over, then signed it.  
  
"Ok, you have to give it to her tomorrow, at Hogsmeade...make sure she's alone though." Draco said, worried.  
  
"Don't worry...I'll get her alone then give her the letter." Ginny pocketed it, then decided it was time to retire for the night.  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
It wasn't hard to find Hannah. She always hung with her Hufflepuff friends, and could be seen walking from store to store. Ginny left Draco at The Three Broomsticks, then followed Hannah around, waiting for her to get alone. Finally, Hannah separated from her group and entered the Owl Post. Ginny watched as she sent a letter with a barn owl, then as she was walking out Ginny stopped her.  
  
"Hannah, I need to talk with you...alone." Ginny looked around, making sure no one else could hear.  
  
Hannah smiled. "About what?"  
  
"About Draco." That seemed to be the wrong answer to give, for almost immediately Hannah's smile turned to a frown.  
  
"I have nothing to say about that prick." Hannah began walking away but Ginny grabbed her by the arm.  
  
"Please?" The look in Ginny's eyes was desperate. If she wanted to stay in The Snakes she had to get this girl to like Draco.  
  
Hannah stood there, contemplating, then nodded her head. Ginny escorted Hannah outside of town on the side of the hill that held the Shrieking Shack. They were standing under some shade, and that's when Ginny started.  
  
"I have a letter from him to you." Ginny held out the letter, waiting for Hannah to take it.  
  
"I don't care to read it." Hannah took the letter, ripped it in two, and then threw it into a muddy puddle.  
  
"No!" Ginny bent down to retrieve the ripped parchment, but it was too late. "Well if you only knew how much Draco liked you." Ginny stood up, facing Hannah.  
  
"How can he like me and humiliate me?"  
  
"I know, the boy has his own style...not something I'd do, but--"  
  
"What would you do?" Hannah smiled.  
  
"Well...I'd send her flowers and cards by owl. I'd devote my every waking hour to do her will." Ginny quoted the many romance books she had read.  
  
  
"And what if she refused you?" Hannah's eyebrow raised.  
  
"I'd stand outside her window and sing her sonettes. I'd yell her name because it would be as sweet as honey on my lips. I'd kneel at her feet, and plague her shadow as her face has plagued my mind."  
  
Ginny stopped upon seeing Hannah breathe irregularly. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yes! I'm just fine."  
  
"Well, Draco feels that way, he just has trouble articulating his feelings."  
  
"You don't." Hannah smiled.  
  
"Well..." Ginny began to feel a little uncomfortable. "Do you send word back to Draco?"  
  
Hannah's smile turned once again to a frown. "No, I do not like him any more than I ever have and I don't want to hear anything about him again." She paused. "Unless of course he sends you to tell me how he took it."  
  
Ginny sighed, then said her farewells. As she was leaving she felt very odd, as if two eyes bore their way into Ginny's back. She began running to the Three Broomsticks, and sat next to Draco and the others.  
  
"What did she say?" Draco asked, expectantly.  
  
"It's going to take some time." Ginny felt exhausted and leaned back in her chair.  
  
"Did she read the letter?"  
  
"No--tore it up!" Ginny's anger was rekindled.  
  
"Just remember, Macabee, she has to like me!" Draco stood up and stormed out of the building, leaving Ginny very confused.  
  
The next week didn't go by as well as Ginny would have liked. Draco ordered her to stop Hannah in the halls whenever she saw her and spout out any poetry in Draco's favor. Ginny got real tired, real quick from making up sappy poetry, and have anyone who heard tease her later. Ginny was forced to deliver flowers and candies and anything Draco would think Hannah would like, but she always refused them.  
  
Soon Ginny had a day off, and got to watch the first Quidditch match of the season. It was Ravenclaw against Slytherin, and Draco walked around the common room the night before as if he knew something no one else did. Ginny felt like stopping any ridiculous idea he had before it blew up in his face, but decided she could do with a few laughs.  
  
It felt weird for Ginny to root the Slytherin team at first, but as screaming Slytherin fans surrounded her, she grew accustomed to it. She waved her banner in the air, and cheered as the teams came out onto the field.  
  
The teams flew into the air and the quaffle was released. Ginny watched the game with great interest. Moves that Ginny once would have thought were cheating, were now very clever. Slytherin was up by fifty points when Ginny noticed Draco begin to dive towards one of the student filled towers. Instantly the Ravenclaw seeker began diving, and it was a race to see who would get the snitch first.  
  
Both seekers were heading from different directions, and for a moment it looked as if they were going to crash. Inches away from impact, Draco pulled up and the Ravenclaw seeker lost his balance and began to fall. Draco waved the golden snitch in his hands, then flew to the Hufflepuffs. He was hovering over Hannah and handed the snitch to her. All the girls oohed and awed, but Hannah looked unimpressed. She simply let the snitch go, and it flew away.  
  
Slytherin had won, but at dinner that night, Draco looked as if he had lost. He refused to talk, and no one wished to get their head chewed off, so they left him alone. That night there was to be another Snake's meeting at twelve, and Ginny made sure to take her green potion. She snuck out the castle and down to the lake and waited for the others. She knew she was a little early, and didn't expect anyone to show up for at least a long while. That's why she was so surprised when Draco came walking down the lawn.  
  
"You're early." Draco commented, still in his sullen mood.  
  
"So are you." Ginny stated. "Look, I'm sorry about Hannah. She just needs to see the side of you that I see."  
  
"Oh yeah, and what side is that?" Draco scoffed.  
  
"Well, you're really funny...even though sometimes I don't get your humor. You're nice when you want to be--without you I'd probably fail Potions. If I was a girl, I'd fall for you." Ginny surprised herself with the last sentence.  
  
Draco looked up into Ginny's eyes and searched them for a while. It made Ginny feel very uncomfortable, as if Draco could see the girl inside of her.  
  
"But I'm Draco Malfoy! EVERYONE likes me! It's like a law or something."  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes, "'Some are born great, other's achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.' I guess you qualify in all three areas."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Draco yelled.  
  
"It's from a book I read...look, it's the others." Ginny waved at the other four walking towards them.  
  
"As we all know there's going to be a Winter Ball this year before Christmas Holidays," Lucas started. "We have to decide on a prank to pull that will etch our names in Hogwarts history forever."  
  
Ginny couldn't believe she was hearing this. She was expecting The Snakes to talk about You-Know-Who's moves, but here they were acting like...well, teenagers. Ginny stuck to her guns, knowing sooner or later some juicy bit of information would come her way.  
  
"How about we spike the punch?" Goyle suggested.  
  
"That's not big enough." Zabini complained.  
  
"We could spike the punch with a love potion and watch everyone get to it in The Great Hall." Crabbe said.  
  
Everyone began laughing, all except Draco. "Nah, that'd be gross." Lucas interjected. "How about we enchant the Christmas trees or the fairy lights to harass everyone?"  
  
"Maybe we should research this a bit...see which pranks have been done, then try to top those. We could reconvene next week with our findings." Ginny spoke up.  
  
The guys looked at her as if she were some alien. They weren't used to someone so smart being in their midst...Draco was smart, but he was also as stupid as a teenage boy.  
  
"Yeah, sounds good to me." Everyone agreed, then got up to leave.  
  
"I need to speak to you...alone." Draco glared at Ginny.  
  
"Um, I'm sort of not feeling well...maybe tomorrow." Ginny was scared at the look he was giving her.  
  
"I insist." Draco held her back and waited until the others were gone. "You have two months to get Hannah to like me, and nothing has worked."  
  
"Umm, Halloween's tomorrow, maybe I could dress up like a cupid and shoot her with a love potion covered arrow." Ginny laughed.  
  
"I don't find that funny." Draco sneered.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry...maybe you should just give up...switch your affections to someone else."  
  
"Switch my affections?" Draco seemed outraged at the mere mention of it. "I'm not a girl, I don't fall for anything that walks and talks. I love her." Draco didn't' seem at all startled that he showed so much emotion in one go.  
  
"How do you know you love her? You don't even know her!" Ginny was irked at his implication that girls were fickle.  
  
"She's the most beautiful thing I've seen! She has a voice like the summers breeze and golden blonde hair. How can I NOT be in love? She's just too stubborn, too mean...too womanly to give me a try."  
  
"I've known girls who have loved men who have pined away, year after year, and not even been noticed."  
  
"Oh yeah?" Draco seemed doubtful.  
  
"Yeah!" Ginny paused, trying to push back the tears. "I know a girl who loved a boy so much that it hurt her! He knew she at least liked him, but he saw her merely as a sister to a friend." As Ginny related her own story, she no longer felt the little patter of her heart as she thought of Harry. Instead her hear beat fiercely and deeply as she stared into Draco's gray clouded eyes.  
  
"Whatever...just think of something good." Draco stalked away, leaving Ginny alone.  
  
"Great!" Ginny yelled at herself. "Now I've fallen for ANOTHER guy who won't give me the time of day." 


	4. Chapter Four

(A/N: Thanks you guys for all the wonderful reviews!! This fic is gonna be a short one, but I'm one of those impatient people who needs to see the story have an ending...i can't go on and on and on forever!  
I do, however, plan to start an epoch...well, I've already started it but no one reads it. The Prophecy is about Godric and Salazar and their story, and then I was going to write a Seventh Year fic incorporating things from my other fic...oh well. 'nough of my rambling!)  
  
  
Chapter Four  
  
The weeks went by pretty much the same way as they had been. Ginny followed Hannah around like a lost puppy, and received peels of giggles from her friends in return. Whenever she'd be studying in the library Ginny would be there to help out--all in the name of Draco. It was on one of these occasions that we find Ginny and Hannah in the library, alone.  
  
"Where are all your friends?" Ginny asked, sitting down next to Hannah.  
  
"Oh, they're doing other things." Hannah smiled and twirled a bit of blonde hair on her finger.  
  
"Well, should we start with Transfiguration or--"  
  
"Actually..." Hannah drew the word out as if thinking of what to say next. "There's this book I wanted to get, but it's too high for me...would you mind getting it for me?"  
  
"Sure." Ginny stood up and followed Hannah into the maze of bookshelves. They passed section after section, and Ginny began to wonder if Hannah was lost.  
  
"It's that dark green one." She finally said, pointing towards a book on the second to highest shelf.  
  
"Hmm...lemmi get my wand." Ginny turned to walk back towards her book bag, but a hand held her back.  
  
"Actually...I didn't really want the book." Hannah whispered, pulling Ginny closer to her.  
  
"Ahem, I don't think that--well, Hannah you know that, um..." Ginny saw the look in Hannah's eyes and it was the same look she saw in Crookshank's eyes before he leapt on an insect, then devoured it.  
  
"John, shh, we're all...alone." Hannah ran her hand up Ginny's arm but Ginny instantly backed away.  
  
"Hannah! Stop this!" Even though Hannah made no movement she still had that look. "My friend, Draco, likes you...I can't do this!."  
  
"But I don't like Draco!" She yelled, then said, "I like you."  
  
"But--Hannah, listen, you don't even know me...you're not yourself."  
  
"Of course I'm myself and I do know you! Do you think you could tell me all that beautiful poetry and not mean it?"  
  
"It was all from Draco!" Ginny exclaimed.  
  
Hannah's eyes lost that predator glimmer, and she looked down at her hands. "So there can be nothing?"  
  
"No...I'm sorry."  
  
"Please!" Hannah flung herself at Ginny, and Ginny truly felt sorry for the poor girl.  
  
"Look, I've gotta go!" Ginny ran away from the lovesick girl and grabbed her things off the table and left the library.  
  
She ran all the way until she reached her dorm then fell onto her bed. "Ugh, what a day!." She yelled.  
  
"What happened to you?" A voice startled Ginny. She looked up and saw Draco.  
  
"Nothing...isn't there a meeting tonight?"  
  
"Yeah." Draco sat on the edge of Ginny's bed, causing a warm shiver to run down her spine. "Did you get any prank ideas?"  
  
"I was kind of busy stalking a girl...you?" Ginny laughed.  
  
"No." Draco looked at his watch. "Another three hours 'till midnight."  
  
They both killed time by talking about their families. Ginny did most of the asking and learned a lot about Draco.  
  
"Yeah, Dad became a Death Eater his seventh year. My Mum tried to stop him, but he claimed he was serving the good of all Wizards. All the while I was growing up I was taught that Voldemort was the good guy, and that everyone else was the bad guy. Until--" Draco stopped, casting his eyes to the floor.  
  
"You don't have to say unless you want to." Ginny said.  
  
Draco looked as if he were brushing away a tear but then quickly looked up. "My Dad took me to a Muggle neighborhood one day. We stopped outside of a house and I could see that inside there was a family, eating at the dinner table. We walked in and I watched as--I watched as my Father and the others...torture then kill the Muggles." Now Draco broke out into full-blown sobs. "There was a little boy about my age and I saw the look of horror on his face. He was hiding under the table, but his cries gave him away...his face still haunts my dreams."  
  
Ginny put an arm around Draco's shoulders.  
  
"I know what everyone thinks. They think I'm going to become a Death Eater just like my dear old Dad. I will not! I only go around school pretending to be so against Muggles so my Dad won't suspect. As soon as I graduate I'm out of here!"  
  
Just then the clock struck twelve, and Ginny could feel a tingling sensation in her scalp. She could feel her hair begin to grow!  
  
"Oh, crap!" She exclaimed.  
  
"What?" Draco was about to look up but Ginny pushed him towards the floor.  
  
Ginny rushed to her trunk and downed a vial just in time. Draco looked up with a puzzled look on his face.  
  
"What's that?" He asked, seeing the empty bottle in her hands.  
  
"This? Um, this is...medicine!"  
  
"For what?"  
  
"Um, well...it's for my, er...acne!" Nice save, Ginny thought.  
  
"Oh, so is that why you have such a clear complexion?"  
  
"Um, yeah...let's go then."  
  
The group gathered as usual and they began discussing the Winter Ball.  
  
"Two weeks!" Lucas yelled. "Draco, what are we going to do?"  
  
Draco gave them all a very evil grin, then produced a small vial of a clear potion. "Veritiserum."  
  
The others stared, open-eyed. That truth potion was the hardest to make and the most effective.  
  
Draco continued. "We'll spike the punch, then watch as everyone tells their true feelings. I know some people around this school who keep a lot of juicy truths from us. This prank will certainly be remembered."  
  
"Yes! Another brilliant plan from our brilliant leader!" Zabini cheered.  
  
"This causes for a little bit of a celebration." Lucas said while taking off his cloak, then his shoes and shirt and pants and...you know.  
  
He ran towards the freezing cold lake and jumped in. The others immediately followed, all except Ginny. She walked to the waters edged and watched as the others were skinny-dipping.  
  
"Come on, Macabee!" Crabbe yelled. "Afraid?"  
  
"No!" Somehow, Ginny didn't like being thought more afraid of something than Crabbe.  
  
"Then join us!" Lucas called  
  
"Nah, I think I'll sit this one out...a bit cold outside, don't you think?" Ginny said, sitting on a near by log.  
  
"I think someone needs some persuading!" All of them came after Ginny, and she closed her eyes.  
  
They began taking her robe off, but seeing as that was a difficult task because Ginny put up a good fight, they ended up just throwing her in, clothes and all. The water was freezing! Like a billion tiny little needles pricking your skin. She began to shiver violently.  
  
"Are you alright?" Draco asked, coming up to her.  
  
"N-n-no...I-I'm fre-fre-fre-freezing!" Ginny meant it to sound angry, but having the shivers was a crutch.  
  
"Ok guys!" Draco yelled at the others. "I think it's time we went back in."  
  
The others moaned and cried, but in the end they all put their things back on and headed up to their dorms. Ginny was taking a hot shower, but not before making sure the stall to her shower was locked. Even though the shower was burning hot, she couldn't get the chills out of her.  
  
"Macabee?" Draco's voice echoed in the bathroom.  
  
Ginny turned around quickly. "Um, I'm busy!" Ginny made sure the lock was secure just in time. Draco tried to open the door.  
  
"Hey, I brought you something. It'll warm you up."  
  
"Just hand it over the door." Ginny suggested, wishing he would just leave.  
  
"Ok," A bottle of some liquid was handed to her. "Just drink it."  
  
Ginny drank it, and instantly felt a burning sensation run through her veins, warming her very toes. "Wow! Thanks!" She handed back the empty bottle.  
  
"Macabee, can I ask you something?" Draco questioned.  
  
"Sure." Ginny wished he'd hurry up so she could finish her shower.  
  
Draco paused. "Um, never mind...it's nothing."  
  
She could hear his footsteps retreat, then the bathroom door open and close.  
  
~*~*~  
  
The next morning at breakfast the Slytherin's were laughing over last nights events. The only silent one was Draco, who merely stared at his food. The swishing noise of the post owls overhead caused everyone to look up. Packages fell out of the skies into the hands of the students and were ferociously ripped open. Ginny didn't expect to be getting any mail at all, but rather she received two letters. The first one was addressed from The Macabees and the second had no return address.  
  
"Dear John," The first began. "I hope you school year is going well. May you achieve your endeavors you had set out to achieve. I left something with the Headmaster to give to you, so go to his office and retrieve it. Love, Your Parents."  
  
Ginny wanted to laugh. Didn't these people know that in order to pull off a plausible letter you had to make it sound as if it wasn't from a businessman? Parents just didn't write to their children like that...at least Ginny's didn't.  
  
Ginny opened the second one, and couldn't make out the handwriting but quickly guessed the identity at once.  
  
"John, I'm sorry about the little incident in the library. I should have known you're one of those guys who gets girls fawning over them all the time. Once again, I'm sorry. But I do know you felt something too. I could see it in your eyes! Will you consider going to the Winter Ball with me? With Love, Hannah Abbott."  
  
Ginny's eyes widened, then she searched her mates to make sure they hadn't seen the letter. She began crumpling it up and was about to stuff it in her school bag when a hand reached out for it.  
  
"What's this?" Draco asked amusedly. "A little love note?" Draco unwrinkled the paper and read it. His face turned a violent shade of red. "What the heck is this?" He yelled, shoving the paper in Ginny's general direction. "What does this mean?"  
  
Any person who could read and had sense could have told him what it meant, but the meaning of the letter isn't exactly what he was after. He was after the meaning behind the letter.  
  
"Well?" When Ginny didn't answer, Draco stood.  
  
"Um...well, I think that--"  
  
"Don't you tell me what you think! I should have known." Draco said the last sentence to himself. "Of course you were trying to steal her away. Trying to prove yourself as a man or something? Well fine, go ahead and take her to the Ball. I don't care!" Draco stormed out of the room leaving many eyes on Ginny.  
  
"Breakfast didn't agree with him." Ginny rubbed her stomach and everyone returned to their own breakfast with trepidation.  
  
Ginny didn't think things could get any worse...that was until she was called to the Headmaster's office. She had only been there once before, and then it was under less agreeable circumstances. This time, though, she felt she had it worse.  
  
"Hello Ginny." Dumbledore greeted her with a twinkle in his eye. "The Ministry wants to know if you've procured any information so far."  
  
Ginny briefly thought of the prank that was going to be pulled during the Winter Ball, but actually wanted to see it pull through. She shook her head.  
  
"This is very disappointing." Dumbledore said.  
  
"Headmaster, the Snakes are just a club. I think the depth of their evil goes only as far as...spiking the punch." There, Ginny gave him a hint and if he didn't catch on it wasn't her fault.  
  
"Ginny, I want you to understand something." Dumbledore leaned in closer. "The Snakes were started by Voldemort himself." Ginny flinched at the name. "It was supposed to be a training for future followers...but I suppose over the years it's reached a juvenile level." Dumbledore leaned back in his chair.  
  
"May I go?" Ginny asked, and Dumbledore nodded. As she left she thought she heard humming coming from his office, but didn't give it a second thought.  
  
Ginny was walking down the halls to her next class when a herd of giggling girls passed her. From out of the crowd a very familiar blonde appeared.  
  
"John, did you get my letter?" Hannah asked, blue eyes sparkling.  
  
"Um, yeah." Ginny thought of Draco's reaction, but didn't care any more. "I'd love to take you to the Ball. I'll meet you at the Hufflepuff entrance at eight."  
  
As even more giggling came from the group Ginny thought if she had ever sounded thus. Gosh, girls were annoying! She vowed then and there that once she was back to herself she'd never giggle again.  
  
Class wasn't much of a relief either. Draco was partnered with her during potions and it seemed that all his fury that was usually aimed towards Harry and Ron was now directed towards her. She endured it and refused to take his goad. Once Potions was finished she had ingredients galore on her person and if not for the fact that Draco really needed to get excellent N.E.W.T.'s, she would have received bad marks that day for badly made potion.  
  
Dinner was silent also, and it seemed The Snakes had noticed.  
  
"What's bothering you?" Lucas asked Draco.  
  
"Nothing." Draco replied, pushing some peas across his plate with his fork.  
  
"John?" Lucas implored.  
  
"Nothing." Ginny responded.  
  
"Come on!" Zabini hissed. "What is wrong with you two? Only girls sulk!"  
  
Ginny's head shot up and was about to retort but then realized in their eyes she wasn't a girl. "Just leave me alone." Ginny got up from the table and headed towards the dorm.  
  
It wasn't until she was in the common room that she noticed someone was following her. She turned around and was about to take all her anger out on a forgetful first year when she met Draco's cold stare. At no other point in time since she arrived at Hogwarts did she wish more than ever she had said no to the mission. Draco looked as if he could kill her.  
  
"W--what do you want?" Ginny asked, standing her ground.  
  
Draco clenched and unclenched his fists. For a moment Ginny thought he would hit her and she braced herself for the blow but instead he simply walked right passed her. She watched his retreating back climb the stairs to the dorms, then exhaled the air she had held. She flopped down on a couch and warmed herself by the fire. It was safer to wait for the others before entering the dorms, she thought. 


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five  
  
Ginny's dress robes were a dark blue which complemented her eyes. She looked into the mirror, feeling a dozen knots tie themselves in her stomach. The others would be coming up soon to get ready, and Ginny had been avoiding Draco as much as she possibly could. At the meeting the night before Draco had gone over the plans once again, and everyone knew the part they would play. Draco had forgotten to give Ginny a role, but she wasn't about to point that out.  
  
"Well, here goes nothing." Ginny left the dorm and met the others on her way down.  
  
"Lookin' sharp!" Zabini gave her a thumbs up.  
  
"Don't worry, it's not your fault Hannah likes you more." Goyle reassured her.  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes, then headed towards the Hufflepuff entrance. She had conjured a small bouquet of flowers then waited. Eight o'clock rolled around, and no Hannah. The entrance opened up and a few guys and girls walked out, arm in arm.  
  
"Do you know if Hannah is ready?" Ginny asked.  
  
"So you're John?" One of the girls asked, raising an eyebrow in approval. "Hannah's almost finished. She wants to look perfect for tonight."  
  
Ginny thanked them, then continued to wait. It wasn't until Eight Thirty that the entrance finally opened once again and a few more people came out. Among them was Hannah. She was in a light yellow robe and her hair was done up in ringlets and twists. Ginny noted the hairstyle so she could try it on herself once she was herself again. She smiled, then handed Hannah the bouquet.  
  
Hannah took them greedily and inhaled.  
  
"They smell beautiful!" She exclaimed, then she took Ginny's arm and they headed towards the Great Hall.  
  
Ginny, to say the least, felt very weird. It felt strange to have a girl, a pretty girl, have her arm around hers and receive so much attention. They entered the Hall and were greeted by tall Christmas tress decked in silver and gold. It looked as if they were in a forest with the pine smell and the starry crystal clear sky overhead. They even had enchanted stone animals moving around. The tables were set up in the back of the Hall, and a dance floor was in the front. Ginny walked Hannah to a table and sat down.  
  
"Let's go dance!" Hannah exclaimed, and grabbed Ginny's hand and dragged her towards the front.  
  
Not many people were in the Hall, and even fewer were dancing. The fast song that was playing a while ago slowly turned into a slow song. Hannah gave an excited squeal and pulled Ginny in close. They were moving along the dance floor when Ginny spotted Draco walk in with a pretty fourth year attached to his arm. Ginny made a mental note not to taste the punch.  
  
The Hall filled up and Ginny's feet fastly began to grow tired. Finally Hannah dragged Ginny back to a the table they were at, which just happened to be next to Draco's. Draco kept his eyes at the front of the Hall, and made no sign of recognition towards Ginny.  
  
"What shall I have to eat?" Hannah said to herself, glancing at the refreshments table. "John, will you get me some strawberries and cream and some punch?"  
  
Ginny was all too willing to put space between herself and Hannah. She left for the table and took as long as she could dishing up the cream. She chose some plump strawberries and got a glass of punch. She wondered if Draco had spiked it yet, but then remembered it wasn't going to happen until 11:00, an hour before the dance was to end.  
  
"Thank you." Hannah smiled. "Now feed them to me."  
  
"What?" Ginny looked at her, disgusted. "I will not."  
  
"Oh, please? It would be so sweet." Hannah begged.  
  
"Gross, no way!" Ginny heard a scoffing noise coming from the direction of Draco.  
  
"Fine, then I'll feed them to you...it's more sexy that way." Hannah chose a large strawberry and dipped it in cream. She began inching it closer to Ginny, who backed away.  
  
Ginny heard some mumbling near by, and turned to see Draco looking very evilly at Hannah. While Ginny's eyes were on Draco, Hannah chose that opportunity and plunged the strawberry into Ginny's mouth.  
  
"You got some cream on your nose." Hannah giggled. She reached over and wiped it off with her finger, then licked it off her finger.  
  
"You know, I promised a fellow Slytherin a dance...gotta go!" Ginny sprang from the table and headed towards a group of wallflowers. "Um, care to dance?"  
  
The girl looked up, completely taken by surprise. "S--sure."  
  
The rest of the night she played philanthropist to the girls who couldn't get dates. They were very grateful, except for Hannah. She remained at the table and stared at Ginny with both anger and hurt. The time ticked by, and soon she saw Draco nonchalantly make his way to the refreshment table and then he dropped the potion into the punch. She watched as people took the punch, completely ignorant to what was in it. As she saw Harry, Ron, Hermione and their dates she wondered what would happen if she asked them the things they always kept from her.  
  
Small pockets of arguments started sprouting up around the Hall, but no one noticed. Ginny decided she didn't want to be around when things got ugly, so she crept towards the doors but was stopped just before she left.  
  
"Where do you think you're going?" Zabini asked, grabbing her arm.  
  
"Let go, I'm going to bed." Ginny tried to pry his fingers off of her, but to no avail.  
  
"Don't you want to see the grand finale?" Zabini's eyes glimmered.  
  
"What grand finale?" Ginny didn't hear about anything other than the spiking of the punch.  
  
"Oh, I have a little interview with Potter." Zabini's eyes shot open. "Only you'll be asking the questions."  
  
"What? No way! I'm leaving." Ginny once again made an effort to leave but was held back.  
  
"You don't think I planned all this just as some prank, do you?"  
  
"You didn't plan it...Draco did." Ginny said.  
  
Zabini rolled his eyes. "Of course I wanted everyone to THINK Draco did. No use in having it pinned on me if we get caught. Oh no, I'll be well paid for the information I get out of Potter."  
  
"I won't let you do it." Ginny said determined.  
  
"How are you going to stop me?" Zabini sneered.  
  
"I will." A voice startled them. They quickly turned to see Draco, who had been standing there the whole time.  
  
"Malfoy, you stay out of this." Zabini shot.  
  
"Zabini, you always were very poor at concealing things. I gave Potter and his fan club the antidote. Now get out of here before someone gets hurt."  
  
Zabini gave Draco an unbelieving look, then left in a huff.  
  
"Thanks." Ginny said, and began to rub her sore arm.  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't know he was going to use you." Draco began to pop a few pieces of candy into his mouth when Goyle came up behind him and slapped him on the back.  
  
"You're plan is working!" Goyle shouted. "Everyone is saying what's REALLY on their minds and it's hilarious!" Goyle stopped suddenly upon seeing Draco begin to choke.  
  
"He's choking!" Ginny exclaimed.  
  
Goyle immediately began to pat him on the back again, but Ginny pushed him away. "That'll only make it worse! We need to dislodge what's in his throat...some punch!"  
  
Goyle grabbed a glass of punch from off a nearby table and gave it to Draco. He began drinking it while Ginny started the Heimlich. A large piece of candy shot out of his mouth and hit the wall. Draco fell to his knees, gasping for breath.  
  
"I'll take him to Pomfrey...just in case." Ginny said, then said goodbye to Goyle.  
  
Ginny allowed Draco to drape his arm over her shoulders as they walked down the barely lit corridors.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Ginny questioned.  
  
"Like when I was ten and fell off my broom." Draco responded.  
  
"Well, nice description. What made you think of that?"  
  
"Because my worst memory came after that. My Father took a strap to me...I wasn't allowed to fly yet."  
  
Ginny looked at Draco and noticed his gazed expression. That's when it registered that he drank some of the spiked punch. Ginny smiled...she could have some fun with this.  
  
"What's your worst fear?" Ginny asked.  
  
"To be alone." Draco responded. Ginny didn't expect that, but knew at once he was surely under the influence of Veritiserum.  
  
"Do you really like Hannah?" Ginny asked.  
  
"I did...but not any more."  
  
"Ha! I knew it!" Ginny exclaimed. "You jerk!" She dropped him to the ground. "You were acting all hurt and woe-is-me because she began liking me, when you really stopped liking her!" Ginny smiled mischievously. "Who do you like now?"  
  
Ginny was absolutely not prepared for what came next. "You."  
  
Her eyes opened wide and she gasped. "What?"  
  
Just then Draco's expression changed, and Ginny knew he was coming off the potion. It must have not lasted longer because it was diluted.  
  
"What did I say?" Draco asked, scared.  
  
"Umm..."  
  
"I heard you ask me something...but I don't remember what I said." Draco looked pleadingly into Ginny's eyes.  
  
"Um, you said you didn't like Hannah any more."  
  
"I remember that...it was after that."  
  
Ginny didn't know if she should tell him or not, but then remembered how rude he was to her. It was only fair he should get his just rewards.  
  
"You said you liked me which means you're gay!" Ginny wanted to laugh, but Draco's forlorn self stopped her.  
  
"I can't be gay...I'm Draco...I like women." Draco looked as if someone had told him he was no longer a human, but a tree , and everything he ever knew was false.  
  
"It's ok, Draco, I need to tell you--"  
  
"Don't tell me anything!" Draco yelled. "Ugh, I don't know what happened! I just...started liking--" Draco ran his hands through his hair, then looked angrily at Ginny.  
  
"Hey, it's not MY fault!" Ginny said defensively.  
  
Once again he looked as if he were going to sock her, but instead he reached out and pulled her close to him and brought his lips to hers. Ginny was taken completely in shock. It wasn't until five seconds into the kiss that she realized how warm it felt in the drafty corridor. She wrapped her own arms around his neck and he responded by deepening the kiss.  
  
Without warning, he pulled away. "I can't do this!" He screamed at himself.  
  
Ginny wanted to yell, "Yes! Yes you can!" But she knew he wouldn't understand...until...  
  
"Draco, I have something to tell you...I'm not who you think I am."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Ginny looked down at her watch. It was a minute until twelve. "Wait just a minute."  
  
"I can't wait just a minute! I need to sort--"  
  
Ginny stopped him by waving her hand in the air. A few seconds later the clock struck twelve and Ginny began feeling the tingling sensation in her scalp again. She began to shrink, and her hair grew longer and she could see its color was back. She looked up at Draco who looked frozen.  
  
"What?" Ginny said in her usually higher pitched voice.  
  
"You're a--"  
  
"Yes, a girl." Ginny giggled, forgetting her vow she had made against giggling.  
  
"That's not what I was going to say." He paused. "You're a Weasley."  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Well, I just thought you'd be overjoyed that you're not gay...I'm leaving." Ginny had had enough of all this mind numbing nonsense. She wanted out, and finally she got some information...Zabini was a follower and perhaps they'd take that from her.  
  
Ginny began walking away but Draco ran up to her.  
  
"Hey. I didn't say I wanted you to leave." Draco said.  
  
"Look, I did this thing which I can't explain and that's why I was a boy and put into Slytherin. I've had a horrible time being at your beck-and-call and following that dewy eyed Hannah around school. And to top it all off I had to fall for you, a Malfoy, the natural enemy to all Weasley's and you probably hate me." Ginny stopped to catch her breath. "I just want to go to sleep and wake up and pretend this never happened."  
  
Again Ginny began to walk away but Draco gently grabbed her by the arm.  
  
"What if I don't want to pretend it never happened?" Draco softly said.  
  
Ginny looked up into his eyes in confusion.  
  
"I've told you things about myself I was afraid to voice before. Do you think I'd throw all that away just because you're a Weasley?" Draco brought his hands to Ginny's face and wiped away the tears that were beginning to sprout. "You're all I want."  
  
"But--" Ginny began to protest.  
  
"Hush." Draco put his finger to her lips to silence her. He looked down into her woodsy eyes then lowered his head and embraced her lips with his own. Their kiss was disrupted by yells coming from the Great Hall.  
  
They both turned around to see students milling out of the Hall yelling at each other, some even throwing food. Draco smiled, just the reaction he was hoping for. Ginny began to laugh.  
  
"I can't believe you said that about me!" Someone yelled.  
  
"I didn't mean to! It just--came out." Was the reply.  
  
Arguments sprung up here and there as the students all separated into their own houses. No one even noticed the two spectators.  
  
"So what are you going to do?" Draco asked.  
  
"I don't know...tell Dumbledore I want out."  
  
"Or...you could sleep on it." Draco smiled.  
  
"Draco Malfoy! I have my standards!" Ginny yelled.  
  
"A guy can try." Draco grinned, then kissed Ginny. "I'll take you to Dumbledore's office."  
  
"How do you know where it is?" Ginny asked.  
  
"I've been there on a number of occasions."  
  
~*~*~  
  
Ginny had slept in a small room in the hospital wing that night. The next day students were preparing to depart for the Winter Holidays. Ginny had told Dumbledore and a Ministry Representative everything she had collected during the school year. She told them Zabini had planned what happened last night in hopes to get information out of Harry for some dark wizard. They thanked Ginny, then escorted her home where her parents greeted her, thankful she was in one piece.  
  
Ginny didn't even have time to tell Draco she was leaving so soon. Dumbledore didn't want to risk her being spotted as herself, seeing as she was supposed to be in America. She wanted to write to him, but figured he'd be home and forget all about her.  
  
All during the Winter Holidays not one letter came from Hogwarts. Ginny began to think Draco had forgotten about her and it seemed it was true. She lounged around the house in a dazed stupor. Her parents thought it must have been from her experiences as a boy and decided she needed time to think things over. But loneliness was not what Ginny wanted.  
  
There was a huge debate over whether Ginny should go back to Hogwarts once the Winter Holidays were over. Her parents argued that she should have more time to relax after the task she had done, but Ginny was set on returning.  
  
The first day back was hard for Ginny. It seemed like it had been years since she last walked down the long corridors. Everything was familiar to her, yet foreign at the same time. She had seen her world from two different perspectives; hers and John's. She would never be the same Ginny again.  
  
She was thankful that most of her classes took her far from where Draco would be. He had said he liked her, but a persons feelings change. She couldn't bare to see him look at her in disdain as he once did. Ginny was too busy making up work and stories of America to really care about running into Draco. Everyone she knew came up to her asking how America was and if she liked it. Ginny was hard pressed not to be caught in a lie. And her workload was nearly double that of anyone else's.  
  
It was a month into the second semester and Ginny was in the library working on Transfiguration. Ginny looked out the windows at the gloomy sky. It hadn't snowed in days but the clouds looked ready to burst. Ginny looked back down at her books and tried to keep the words in focus. Hermione had been helping Ginny catch up but presently she was elsewhere.  
  
"Probably having another adventure with Ron and Harry." Ginny muttered.  
  
"What's that?" Someone had come up to her.  
  
Ginny looked up at Draco and noticed his eyes matched the storm threatening clouds outside. He was standing in front of her, leaning against the table. Ginny's heart gave a little skip as his cologne drifted towards her nose.  
  
"Huh?" Ginny stammered.  
  
"You said something about Ron and Harry." Draco stated.  
  
Ginny wished he would show some emotion in those cold eyes of his. If she only knew whether he hated her or still liked her, but his eyes were clouded over and impossible to read.  
  
"It's nothing." Ginny softly said.  
  
Draco gave a curt nod of the head, then pulled up a chair and sat across from her.  
  
"So were you ever going to write or did you think it would be great fun to torture me?" Draco sneered.  
  
Ginny's angers lowly rose, giving her more confidence. "Me write? What about you? Were you completely incapable of writing over the Holidays? What, did you temporarily lose your ability to hold a quill? Or write the English language?"  
  
"It's not in my blood to spout out poetry."  
  
"Well it's not in mine to humiliate myself."  
  
"So you think liking me is humiliating? Fine, then let's just forget it ever happened after all?"  
  
"Fine!" Ginny closed her books, then stormed out of the library.  
  
"I'm not finished with you!" Draco yelled after her.  
  
Ginny was half walking, half jogging down the corridors with Draco closely behind her stating the many unpleasant things she was; temptress, wench, whore. Ginny's face grew redder by the minute, but it wasn't until he made a remark about her hair that she turned on her heels, causing Draco to run into her.  
  
She glared her eyes at him and pushed him away. "You little leach."  
  
"Is that the best you could do?" He smiled.  
  
"I grew up in a loving household with parents who care with an upbringing that stresses integrity. I'm sorry you had to live in such a loveless house where name calling is your preferred past time. I will not sink as low as you."  
  
The mention of Draco's family brought his anger to a boiling point. "Don't you ever talk about my family like that again."  
  
"Why not?" Ginny crossed her arms over her chest. "You talk about mine all the time! I'm sorry you were born into it…as I'm sure your parents are even more sorry!" Ginny smiled at her triumph but her smile soon turned to a frown…it seemed she had taken a step over the line.  
  
Draco let out a cry of rage as he ran towards her but Ginny had the sense enough to stand out of his way. She watched as he lunged towards empty air, then fall to the ground in a lump. He lay there motionless and Ginny began to panic.  
  
"Draco!" She cried, bending down towards him. She rolled him over onto her lap so she could see his face. He had a small cut on his forehead that was oozing blood. She patted his face with her hand trying to wake him up but it didn't work. "Wake up!" She pleaded. She retrieved her wand from her pocket and patched up his wound then performed a reviving spell. Draco's eyes fluttered open and he stared up confused.  
  
"What happened?" He asked groggily.  
  
"You fell." A small tear came to Ginny's eyes but she quickly wiped it away.  
  
She was all too aware of Draco's weight in her lap and the warmth he gave her in the cold corridor. He closed his eyes trying to collect his thoughts and tried to sit up but fell back.  
  
"Don't, you should rest a bit." Ginny wiped his forehead of a small amount of sweat that appeared. She pushed back his hair and smiled.  
  
"What?" Draco asked, eyeing her suspiciously.  
  
"I don't know…I just think you're cute when you're helpless."  
  
"Oh please." Draco rolled his eyes, then once again tried to get up. He was successful with this attempt and he sat across from Ginny. "I have a splitting head ache."  
  
"I'm sorry." Ginny said.  
  
"It's not your fault."  
  
"No, I mean for not writing you." Ginny stared down at her hands. "I was just hoping you'd write me first."  
  
Ginny felt Draco's hand on her chin, forcing her to stare into his face. "Look, I should have written you. I guess I was just scared. First you're a guy, then you're my enemy's sister. A guy can only take so much at a time."  
  
Ginny smiled, and began to laugh. Draco chuckled then took Ginny's hands in his. He pulled her closer to him and brought his lips to hers. Ginny found his lips to be very soft, just like before. She forgot how nice it felt to be so close to him and wished she could remain like this forever. Reluctantly, they pulled apart.  
  
"I promise next time to write." Draco smiled, then brought her close to him again.  
  
  
  
  
The End  
  
(A/N: Ok, I know five chapters is short, but the chapter lengths are LONG!!! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing! Salut!) 


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